E30 Zone

Ive got the head stripped apart from the inlet valves and springs etc.
The exhaust ones were hard to compress but I got them all out. The inlet ones are so stiff it bent the spring compressor!
Im going to have to take it back to Halfarts and see if I can change it.

Should they be like this?! Im not a small chap and I was using all my effort and still couldnt get them to compress.

Adam,

They can sometimes get a bit stuck, and need a tap with a hammer to break them loose.

The trick is to get them under pressure with the compressor, and then with your third arm , you need to tap the top of the compressor (the bit over the valve cap) to break it loose. Once the seal has broken, it will be simple to compress.

Ian.

Cheers, must try that. Ive cleaned up the spring compressor and unless someone knows what they are looking for they wont be able to tell its bent.
I might just say its too big and get the smaller one as this one fully extended only just compresses the springs enough.

Hi Adam, Place your head flat on a work surface bench etc with a small piece of wood that fits into the combustion chamber under the valve that you want to take out, then get a socket thats about the same size as the top spring cap and give it a good tap with a hammer this will compress the spring and should free the collets so when you try to compress them with the spring compressor they will be easy to do, good luck Dave

Nice one. Im going back to Halfords to exchange my bent spring compressor for a slightly smaller version so will try that in the hope it doesnt bend then next one as well!

I had the same problem. the Springs would compress abit then stop. When I looked closely, the Sykes Pickavent spring compressor was touching the lip of the cylinder head. I had to file a big arc into the spring compressor to get it to fit. I should have bought one with a longer reach.
Check for witness marks around the top of your head, on the inside lip.

Another problem was, the spring compressor had been assembled wrongly, and the axis of the screw wasn't at right angles to the pressing part. It was about 5 degrees out. I have seen this on Machine Mart tools, but was surprised to see that in an SP tool. I suppose they are all assembled by the same little bloke in China. I had to machine off the rivets and pull the holes until the thing sat square.

I've always tapped the valve heads BEFORE starting to take them out.

Obviously make sure there is room so the valve can move under the combustion chamber etc and then give each one a quick tap with a hammer. Job done